Four remanded over alleged illegal sand winning at Teacher Mantey
The Accra Circuit Court Eight has remanded four men accused of engaging in illegal sand winning activities at Teacher Mantey, near Amasaman.
The accused are 38-year-old Kofi Atiemo, 32-year-old Ebenezer Tetteh Gyablatey, 48-year-old John Hayford, and 31-year-old Ebenezer Kwafo, all residents of Teacher Mantey.
Atiemo and Gyablatey are unemployed, while Hayford and Kwafo work as drivers.
They have been charged with conspiracy to engage in illegal sand winning and unlawful damage to crops. The four pleaded not guilty to the charges and are expected to return to court on September 24, 2026.
Their lawyers applied for bail, but the prosecution opposed the request, describing the alleged offences as serious and punishable by severe penalties. Prosecutors also argued that the accused could abscond if released on bail.
After considering arguments from both sides, the presiding judge remanded the four accused persons, agreeing with the prosecution that they could fail to appear for trial if granted bail.
Presenting the facts to the court, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Achiburi identified the complainants as businessmen Francis Okah and Prince Annor, who reside at Airport City and Teacher Mantey respectively.
According to the prosecution, between 2024 and 2026, the complainants were informed by caretakers of their lands that the accused had allegedly entered their properties at Teacher Mantey with a wheel loader and heavy-duty trucks to extract sand.
Okah reportedly owns 4.5 acres of land, while Annor owns two plots. ASP Achiburi told the court that the alleged activities resulted in damage to Okah’s fence wall and vegetation belonging to Annor.
The court heard that Atiemo was confronted by the complainants and asked to stop the activities, but he allegedly refused to comply. The complainants subsequently reported the matter to the police, who conducted surveillance before arresting the accused at their hideout in Teacher Mantey.
ASP Achiburi said all four suspects denied the allegations in their investigation caution statements.
Police later visited the affected sites with the accused persons and took photographs and videos. Officers reportedly observed that sand had been extracted from several sections of the properties, significantly altering the terrain.
The prosecution further told the court that the investigation confirmed damage to the complainants’ fence wall and crops, although the total cost of the damage had not yet been established.
ASP Achiburi added that CCTV footage from a nearby residence allegedly captured the accused persons extracting and transporting sand from Annor’s property.
Investigators also found that Hayford and Kwafo were allegedly responsible for operating two tipper trucks, with registration numbers GN-9145-2 and GN-6778-Z. The trucks, painted green and blue respectively, were allegedly used to transport the extracted sand to an undisclosed location.
The prosecution identified Atiemo as the alleged mastermind of the illegal sand winning operation.
ASP Achiburi said investigations were continuing, with police working to identify and arrest other suspected accomplices.
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